Apparatus for setting-up cartons



July 12, 1966 R. w. E. MOSSE 3,260,173 5 I APPARATUS FOR SETTING-UPCARTONS Filed Aug. 8, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor RICHARD W. E. MOSSEwgxdis A ttorneyg y 2, 1966 R. w. E. MOSSE 3,260,173

APPARATUS FOR SETTING-UP CARTONS Filed Aug. 8, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2Inventor RICHARD W. E. MOSSE wake W A tlorneyg July 12, 1966 R. w. E.MOSSE APPARATUS FOR SETTING-UP CARTONS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 8,1963 Inventor RICHARD W. E. MOSSE B we d f Attorneys.

July 12, 1966 R. w. E. MOSSE 3,260,173

APPARATUS FOR SETTING-UP CARTONS Filed Aug. 8, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 F iI i I L v 2? I! J t 22 l 25m. Jr E i :r

Inventor RICHARD W. E. MOSSE A ttorneys,

July 12, 1966 R. w. E. MOSSE APPARATUS FOR SETTING-UP CARTONS 5Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 8, 1963 Inventor 4 s A ttorneys,

RICHARD W. E. MOSSE United States Patent 3,260,173 APPARATUS FORSETTING-UP CARTONS Richard Wolfgang Emil Mosse, London, England,assignor to The Metal Box Company Limited, London, England, a Britishcompany Filed Aug. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 300,802 Claims priority,application Great Britain, Aug. 10, 1962, 30,7 7 62 6 Claims. (Cl.93-51) This invention relates to apparatus for setting up cartons.

Cartons are often set up from blanks by the use of a die and punch, thepunch being reciprocable relative to the die and arranged to press ablank into the die. With some forms of apparatus of this kind a set upcarton is removed from the die by suction devices which engage thebottom of the set up carton and withdraw it from the punch and out ofthe bottom of the die. The provision of such suction devicesnecessitates the use of reciprocating sucker supports and cam-s toeffect operation thereof, also of pumps or similar devices to providethe necessary suction elfects, all of which tend to limit the cyclicspeed of operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a setting upapparatus which eliminates the use of reciprocating sucker devices andpumps therefor thus reducing speed limitations and permitting the use ofcarton extracting means operable continuously in one direction.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for setting upcartons comprising a die open at opposite ends and a punch reciprocablerelative thereto to move carton blanks into the die, said die havingaligned openings formed in opposite sides thereof and extendinglengthwise of the throughway of the die, opposed ejector elementsmovable in paths parallel with the openings in the sides of the die, andguide elements co-operating with the ejector elements and operable tourge the ejector elements towards each other to press against oppositesides of a carton set up in the die thereby to cause the ejectorelements to grip the carton and withdraw it out of the die.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood two embodimentsthereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to theaccompanying drawings,

in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatusaccording to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a section on line IIII, FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view, to an enlarged scale, of a part of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a section on line III-III, FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a view showing modifications to the apparatus illustrated inFIG. 2, and

FIG. 6 illustrates an ejector element incorporated in the apparatus ofFIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 of the drawings, the apparatus comprises apair of dies 1, 2, FIG. 1 open at the opposite ends thereof, theconstruction of which is described in United States Patent No.3,063,348. Reciprocable punches 3, FIG. 2, co-operate with the dies toeffect the setting up of blanks therein. The mode of operation of thepunches is described in United States Patent No. 3,087,391 and as thepunches are withdrawn from the dies the set-up cartons are engaged bystationary spring fingers, not shown, which prevent the carton fromfollowing the punches and cause the cartons to remain in the dies.

In accordance with the present invention opposite sides of the diehaving openings 7, 8, FIG. 2 formed therein. The openings 7, 8 extendlengthwise of the throughway of the die.

3,260,173 Patented July 12, 1966 A carton 9 which has been set up byco-operation between a die and punch is removed therefrom by opposedejector elements 10, 11, FIGS. 2 and 3, movable in paths parallel withthe openings 7, 8 in the sides of the die, and guide elements 12, 13which co-operate with the ejector elements to urge the ejector elementstowards each other to press against opposite sides, FIG. 2 of a cartonset up in the die thereby to cause the ejector elements to grip thecarton and withdraw it from the punch and out of the die, FIG. 3.

Although in FIG. 1 there are shown two dies and punches together withassociated ejector elements the construction of both sets of apparatusis the same and reference to only the one die will hereinafter be madein describing the invention.

The ejector elements 10, 11 are carried respectively by endless chainconveyors 14, 15 and the opposed elements 10, 11 of a pair have, as canbe seen in FIG. 3, carton-engaging faces 16, 17 which diverge in thedirection of movement of the ejector elements. The chains 14, 15 passround sprockets 18, 19 and 20, 21 and the tension in the chains iscontrolled by tensioning sprockets 22 carried by arms 23 pivoted at 24and urged into engagement with the chains by springs 25. The sprockets18, 20 are respectively rotatable with shafts 26, 27 driven by chains28, 29 from a driving shaft 30, FIG. 2.

When, following withdrawal of the plunger as described above, a cartonis removed from the die by a pair of ejector elements 10, 11 it is moveddownwards by the elements until it is arrested by carton-receivingelements 31, 32, FIG. 2, supported in spaced relation with the die andin the path of the carton. To avoid undue im- .pact of a carton againstthe elements 31, 32 the linear speed of the'chains 14, 15 is reduced asthe carton approaches the elements 31, 32. This is effected through themedium of sprocket wheels 33, 34 carried by a bracket 35 pivoted aboutthe driving shaft 30 for rocking movement by a cam 36 rotatable with afurther shaft 37 continuously rotatable by means not shown. During aperiod when a pair of ejection elements 10, 11 is removing a carton fromthe die a roller 38 carried by the bracket 35 is engaged with theportion 39 of the cam 36, and as the carton is being. deposited on thereceiving elements 31, 32 the roller 38 is engaged with the portion 40of the cam. Thus during each of these intervals the sprocket wheels 33,34 are moved as planets around the sprocket wheel 41 which is rotatablewith the driving shaft 30 and so reduce the linear speed of chain 28.

Each ejector element is provided with a projection or heel 42, FIG. 3and as the ejector elements move downwards from the sprockets 20, 21 theheels 42 are engaged in grooves 43 in the guide elements 10, 11 so thatthe ejector elements, together with the portion of the chains by whichthey are carried, are moved towards each other to grip the carton asdescribed above and illustrated in FIG. 3.

The frame members 44, 45, FIGS. 1 and 3, by which the chains 14, 15 arecarried co-operate with a shaft 46 having a left-hand screw thread 47and a right-hand screw thread 48. Thus by applying a spanner to the end49 of shaft 46 and rotating the shaft the distance between the chains14, 15 may be adjusted. To accommodate such adjustment the shafts 26, 27include universal joints 50, FIG. 4.

Cartons delivered on to the carton-receiving elements 31, 32 are movedout of the path of the next succeeding carton by pusher means 51, FIGS.1 and 2. As shown in the drawings the pusher means 51 are carried by anendless continuously moving conveyor chain 52 and are movable in timedrelation with the ejector elements 10, 11 between the carton-receivingelements 31, 32 which extend lengthwise of the conveyor chain 52.

3 The pusher means 51 are spaced along the conveyor chain 52 thatalternate pushers 51 remove cartons delivered from the dies 1, 2.

FIGS. and 6 illustrate a modified embodiment of the apparatus shown inFIG. 2. In this embodiment of the invention the ejector elements 10, 11each have the shape shown in FIG. 6 and include a step 53. The steps 53of a pair of ejector elements 10, 11 are provided to prevent cartonswhich, at the moment of stopping of the apparatus, are in a mid positionbetween engagement and disengagement by the ejector elements from beingslowly squeezed out from between the ejector elements and fallinguncontrolled, on to the carton-receiving elements 31, 32.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5 the cyclic reductionin linear speed of the ejector elements 10, 11 is effected byco-operating elliptic gear wheels 54, 55 of which the gear wheel 54 isrotatable with a shaft 56 which carries a gear wheel 57 meshing with agear wheel 58 rotatable with the driving shaft 30, and the gear wheel 55is rotatable with a shaft 59 carrying a sprocket wheel 60 to drive achain 61 which in turn drives the chain 29 which rotates the shafts 26,27. The ratio between the elliptic gear wheels and the drive for shaft37, and the pitch of the ejector elements 10, 11, is related to thevertical distance between the points of engagement and disengagement ofa carton by the ejector elements and the horizontal distance between thedies 1, 2.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for setting up cartons comprising a die open at oppositeends thereof and having aligned openings formed in opposite sidesthereof and extending lengthwise of the throughway of the die, a punchtreciprocable relative to the die to move carton blanks into the die,opposed ejector elements movable in paths parallel with said openings inthe sides of the die and having carton-engaging faces which diverge inthe direction of movement of the ejector elements, guide elementscooperating with said ejector elements and operable to urge the ejectorelements towards each other to pres against opposite sides of a cartonset up in the die thereby to cause the ejector elements to grip thecarton and withdraw it out of the die, endless conveyors supporting saidejector elements for movement in said paths, driving means operable toeffect continuous movement of the conveyors, and control meansco-operating with said driving means and operable to reduce the linearspeed of the conveyors as a carton is engaged and disengaged by theejector elements.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, including cartonreceiving elementssupported in spaced relation with the die and in the path of a cartonremoved from the die by the ejector elements.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, including pusher means operable intimed relation with the ejector elements to move a carton delivered tothe carton-receiving elements out of the path of the next succeedingcarton to be delivered to the cart0n-receiving elements by the ejectorelements. 1

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, including an endless convey-orsupporting said pusher means for movement therewith, said cartonreceiving elements extending lengthwise of the pusher-supportingconveyor.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the driving means comprisesa rotatable shaft for each end-less conveyor, a driven sprocketrotatable with each said shaft, a continuously rotatable driving shaft,a driving sprocket rotatable with the driving shaft, and a chainconnecting said driving and driven sprockets, and in which the controlmeans comprises a bracket pivoted on said driving shaft, a cam rotatablein timed relation with the driving shaft and operable to effect rockingof said bracket around the driving shaft, and planetary sprocketscarried by said bracket and engaging opposite runs of said chain inclose proximity with said driving sprocket, said planetary sprocketsbeing movable by said bracket about the driving sprocket to reduce thelinear speed of said chain as the carton is engaged and disengaged bysaid ejector elements.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the driving means comprisesa rotatable shaft for each endless conveyor, a chain coupling sprocketsrotatable one with each said shaft, and a driving chain coupling adriven sprocket rotatable with one of said shafts and a driving sprocketrotatable with a first stub shaft, and in which the control meanscomprises a pair of co-operating elliptical gears one of which isrotatable with the first stub shaft and the other of which is rotatablewith a second stub shaft, a continuously rotatable driving shaft, and apair of meshing gear wheels carried one by the driving shaft and one 'bysaid second stub shaft.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1943 Coy et al.93-5'1 5/1956 Wilcox 93-5l

1. APPARATUS FOR SETTING UP CARTONS COMPRISING A DIE OPEN AT OPPOSITEENDS THEREOF AND HAVING ALIGNED OPENINGS FORMED IN OPPOSITE SIDESTHEREOF AND EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE THROUGHWAY OF THE DIE, A PUNCHRECIPROCABLE RELATIVE TO THE DIE TO MOVE CARTON BLANKS INTO THE DIE,OPPOSED EJECTOR ELEMENTS MOVABLE IN PATHS PARALLEL WITH SAID OPENINGS INTHE SIDES OF THE DIE AND HAVING CARTON-ENGAGING FACES WHICH DIVERGE INTHE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE EJECTOR ELEMENTS, GUIDE ELEMENTSCOOPERATING WITH SAID EJECTOR ELEMENTS AND OPERABLE TO URGE THE EJECTORELEMENTS TOWARDS EACH OTHER TO PRESS AGAINST OPPOSITE SIDES OF A CARTONSET UP IN THE DIE THEREBY TO CAUSE THE EJECTOR ELEMENTS TO GRIP THECARTON AND WITHDRAW IT OUT OF THE DIE, ENDLESS COVEYORS SUPPORTING SAIDEJECTOR ELEMENTS FOR MOVEMENT IN SAID PATHS, DRIVING MEANS OPERABLE TOEFFECT CONTINUOUS MOVEMENTS OF THE CONVEYORS, AND CONTROL MEANSCO-OPERATING WITH SAID DRIVING MEANS AND OPERABLE TO REDUCE THE LINEARSPEED OF THE CONVEYORS AS A CARTON IS ENGAGED AND DISENGAGED BY THEEJECTOR ELEMENTS.